(AFP) – Former Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas was confirmed as the new manager of Tottenham on Tuesday following the shock departure of Harry Redknapp last month.

“The club is delighted to announce Andre Villas-Boas as Head Coach,” Spurs confirmed on their official Twitter feed following days of speculation concerning the Portuguese coach.

The appointment marks a dramatic return to the English Premier League for Villas-Boas, who was fired as manager of Chelsea in March just eight months into a three-year contract.

Villas-Boas’ ill-fated reign at Stamford Bridge ended in dismissal after months of unrest behind the scenes, with rumours of player mutinies and a breakdown in relations with the manager.

However the 34-year-old — who arrived at Chelsea after a stellar quadruple-winning season with Porto — has successfully convinced Spurs chairman Daniel Levy that he is the best man to build on Redknapp’s legacy.

Villas-Boas’s priority will be aiming to restore Tottenham to the Champions League after their agonising near-miss last season.

Despite finishing fourth, Spurs were bumped out of the Champions League after Chelsea recovered from the dismissal of Villas-Boas to win the title in Munich.